Low impact rides for people with spinal injuries?

[nancydrew79]

I am sure it is out there or on here some where, but I am not having any luck finding a good solid list of rides that someone with a spinal injury can ride. We can't do anything that would jerk someone around abruptly, think Dinosaur and below (and honestly thinking back, Dinosaur might be pushing it.) Any help would be appreciated!

 

[DakotaRose]

Dinosaur?!? That's almost like riding a bucking horse.

I have an older friend with low back issues. He basically won't ride anything with a seatbelt. Kilamanjaro Safaris was pretty jerky/bouncy and left him hurting -- no seatbelts. Boat rides were OK. So were rides like Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, PotC, Buzz, Spaceship Earth, Great Movie Ride. He likes the fact that there is so much more to do than go on rides.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would suggest going over to the disABILITIES Forum. One of the first threads is the disABILITIES FAQs. In addition to the FAQs there tends to be several discussion threads related to that on the first page of the index. To get directly to the disABILITIES FAQs from here just click on the link in my signature.

 

[SueM in MN]

Post 23 in the disABILITIES FAQs thread has a list of attractions with warnings plus a bit of description about them. It also includes some attractions that Disney has not labeled with a warning, but people have reported issues with.

Look at that list and use it to talk with the doctor. Spinal injury covers a lot of conditions and some may be more unstable than others.

 

[thedonduck]

A bumpy ride that I always seem to forget about until I'm on is Winnie the Pooh.

 

[stocker1042]

I don't have a spinal injury, but I have a horrible lower back. I find the worst to be Space Mountain because you cannot tell when you are going to snap. I know it is pretty violent, but Dinosaur does not bother me too much. I think that may be because I can hold onto the rail and brace myself really well.

RNR hurts me like heck while sitting there with the brace pushing down on my shoulders, but I do my best to sweat it out...and leave it a little loose until the last few seconds and then pull it one more click tighter.

 

[Magpie]

I went to Disney with a pinched nerve in my neck one year. Depending on how careful you need to be, you should be able to manage most rides.

Space Mountain is horrible for people with bad necks. Stay far, far away!

Primeval Whirl has too many sudden jerks to one side or another, I'd avoid it, too.

Kilamanjaro Safaris should be fine, as you can brace yourself.

Similarly I had no real trouble with Dinosaur, even though everyone says it's really bumpy. I think it's because I didn't have trouble with up and down movements, as long as they were reasonably slow. That might be pushing it for you, though.

I didn't try the Rock and Roller Coaster, and I don't think I would.

Big Thunder Mountain and Everest were actually manageable for me, but only because the forces are more forward and back than side to side. However, you'll still be putting a fair bit of stress on your neck with these rides, so I wouldn't recommend them either.

Pirates of the Caribbean has a little drop, which wouldn't normally cause problems except that it's in the dark so you can't see it coming. Just be aware.

If you decide to chance riding something that might be hard on your back or neck (like Splash Mountain, which has a big drop at the end), remember to stay relaxed and look ahead in the direction you'll be moving. Drop your shoulders and let yourself bounce with the ride. Imagine yourself like a puppet with a string coming out of the top of your head, and just dangle from that. It really helps!

 

[mamatohaleybug]

I had a severe lower back/spinal injury 6 years ago. All people are different but for me, these were the difficult rides:

Space Mountain because I could not brace myself at all. Horrible. I won't ride it again.

Primeval Whirl jerks you around a lot. Won't ride it again.

Dinosaur is bumpy but I can brace myself so it isn't too bad. It did bother my back some though so beware. I did choose to ride it again so it obviously wasn't too bad for me.



Test Track is no problem because I can brace myself. Haven't ridden Rock and Roller Coaster but none of the other coasters in the parks (other than Space Mtn) are hard on my back, really. I try to brace myself a lot (have to do that even when riding in the car) and that helps me.

Tons of rides have warnings but I didn't find most of them worrisome at all.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[disnut8]

I would highly suggest you know the attractions and what warnings are on them. Use youtube to see what the attractions involve. Then, talk with the doctor about what the person should and should not do.

We don't know the injury and we're not doctors. I have a crack between my C1 and C2 vertebrae - basically, a broken neck if you want to be dramatic about it. I was warned for years not to ride anything that dropped so I avoided all the thrill rides. Then I went and actually talked to my doctor about things and he said "I'm more worried that you would get rear-ended driving through Atlanta than if you went on a roller coaster." He said roller coasters are controlled whereas anything can happen in a collision. Needless to say, I'm back being a thrill ride junkie.

 

[I Love Pluto]

I had spinal cord surgery. The only rides I used in August were -

MK - Small World, Haunted Mansion, Carousel of Progress, all theater things like Country Bears, Hall of Presidents, 3D stuff

Epcot - The Land, The Seas with Nemo, Imagination, 3D stuff, movies

Studios - Great Movie Ride, 3D Muppets, Backlot Tour

AK - shows, 3D stuff

All night time parades & fireworks were also OK. It was a great trip, even though things were limited.

Be cautious. When in doubt, don't. Enjoy your trip!

 

[BackstoryWorthy]

I agree with all who say check with your Doc, watch vids online, refer to the DISabilities forum. Someone in my family had a vertebrae/shoulder surgery (my future, ugh!) a year before our last trip. He opted out of all coasters - ALL - as well as Splash, Test Track, ToT, and Dinosaur. Frankly, Primeval Whirl just looked a bit painful in its whirliness to both of us as we watched members of our party enjoy it.

K. Safari made him tense up and brace himself which made him very sore afterwards...that probably was more on him as the bumpy parts were very slow and deliberate and the "fast poacher chase" part was smooth (we had a great driver!). Still, he LOVED that ride. I hope you have a great time!

 

[nancydrew79]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I will definitely check out the disABILITIES FAQs and look for videos. I really appreciate all of your input!